87 Days

I just finished my first nursery DIY :) I can't take all the credit though - the idea came from shortcake. It's a cute little sign for the nursery door with velcro numbers so we can countdown the days until our little one arrives.

I'm sure there's other more important things I should have been doing over the past two weekends - but I LOVE any time I get to spend in my craft room. I can change out the background and use the numbers in the future to countdown to things like Birthday's, Christmas, Vacation, and Siblings :) I love the way it turned out!


Here's an updated shot of the 'bump' from last weekend. 26w4d.


Mom is coming to town next weekend and I'm SUPER EXCITED about the next DIY I (we) have planned!

Clever Companies

I REMEMBER companies that have AWESOME customer service (Athleta) and/or make your interaction with them FUN (MyEmma)!

I was wondering when a product would ship so went back to look at the order confirmation email I got last week... the email had me 'reading' and laughing.

Thanks for picking us. Your new bag is gonna ROCK!

Here is your order summary email.

We suggest that you actually read it and like it because this is what you are getting and the Lucky One's address below is where we are going to send it. If you must be That Person, we can TRY our best to make changes or cancel your order. This is only if we have had enough coffee and our warehouse hasn't. You will need to send your email to changeorder@timbuk2.com. Remember, this is only if your order is NOT IN PRODUCTION. Once your order makes it to our production line, we can't change it for you and if it's custom, we can't take it back. Not because we don't love you; but because we already have really, really nice custom made Messenger bags from Timbuk2. It's part of the uniform.

WHO PAID (billing address)
THE LUCKY ONE (shipping address)
WHATCHURGETTING (items)
HOW MUCH YOU SHELLED OUT (total)
(I added these notes - not on email)

How often do you write an email that you 'know' people won't read - yet it's so important they do? Add some 'character' next time! I'm not even the least bit disappointed we probably won't our new diaper bag until next week. (Granted we won't need it for a couple months - but new toys are fun!)
Good Job Timbuk2

Anniversaries

Dates that are ingrained in your mind forever. April seems to have more than it's fair share - this week especially. Some celebrations, some heartbreaking, and others bittersweet.

April 11 - T's Moms birthday
April 13 - Anniversary of my dad passing
April 13 - T's cousin Sophie's 11th Birthday
April 15 - T's sister Eliza's 13th Birthday
April 16 - Anniversary of Virginia Tech Tragedy
April 17 - Todd's Birthday
April 18 - Anniversary of a high school friend attempting suicide.

Can't believe it's been three years since I saw the cop cars outside of West AJ as I cut through campus on my way to work. My assumption was a kid with alcohol poisoning or some other 'mischief'. Never could I have imagined how the day would unfold.

My favorite quote heard today "While 32 of our friends try to explain to heaven what a Hokie is, I stand here sure in the fact that I wouldn't want to be anything else."

This blog is worth the read: Coleman Collins remembers Virginia Tech's tragedy

We are Virginia Tech.

21 weeks

We are past the halfway mark and here's some evidence of how baby and mommy are growing.

Baby is weighing in at 15 ounces. Amazing, the brain, the heart, the kidneys, the fingers and toes, everything is 'there' yet he/she weighs less than a pound! Now it's time for baby to put on some fat!

Overheard in our house - baby naming

Me: What about Mabel?

Hubby: That's a cow name.

Me: Tell me one cow you personally know named Mabel!

Hubby: If I had a cow I'd name it Mabel.

Me: Well I love it.


I don't think this is going to be an easy task!

Planning Early

Cupcakes for my birthday this year? Would be even better if the base was a Maggie Moo's Ice Cream cupcake.

They are just tooo cute!!!

source

Complete with Milk Shooters please :)

Happy 3rd Birthday Annabelle!

Hard to believe you've gone from this sweet precious baby....


To a lively smart giggly beautiful princess in such a short time! I know you've had a wonderful birthday full of love and sweets :)

You're a great big sister and I can't wait to see your 'cousin' skills ;)

Granola.... finally!

Sorry for the delay to all who have requested my granola recipe :) Better late than never correct?

T's cousin J (amazing cook!) passed her granola recipe to me last Christmas and I've tweaked it a bit to make it my own :) Seriously granola is the ultimate mix/match recipe. Just add in whatever you have in the house! Use this recipe as a starting guide and make it your own :)

(all measurements approximate!)

Base:
8-10 C Oats (I use a 7-grain oat mix from Eats)

Nuts:
4-7 C Mix and Match - Whatever you like.
These are my usually suspects:
1C Slivered Almonds
1C Pepitas (Pumpkin Seeds)
1C Pecan Pieces
1C Walnut Pieces
1C Pignolias (Pine Nuts)
1C Cashew Pieces
1/2C Sunflower Seeds

Sweetener:
Again depends on what you like. The Almond Extract adds a great kick and I love me some spice :) I'll star the base ingredients... you can embelish as I have or in your own creative way!
1 1/2 C Brown Sugar*
1/2 C Water*
1/4 C Honey
1-2 T Vanilla Extract*
1/2 - 1 Almond Extract
2-3 T Cinnamon*
1 T AllSpice
1 T Nutmeg

Dried Fruit - Add-Ins:
Again - this is all your preference. Sometimes I add in some shredded coconut too!
1C Craisins
1C Dried Blueberries
1C Chopped Dry Papaya
1C Chopped Dates

Directions:
~ Set oven to 325.
~ Line 2 cookie sheets with wax paper.
~ Mix up the base and nuts in a GIANT bowl. Then add the sweetener (*Note my recipe is pretty sweet, add 3/4 of the sweetener or less based on your preference) and mix well. Keep mixing.
~ Spread out granola on cookie sheets. Should be 1-2 inches in thickness.
~ Bake for 15 minutes. Stir and switch top/bottom racks. Bake for additional 15 min.
~ Let cool and transfer back to bowl. Add the dried fruit and stir.

Eat :)

My favorite breakfast/snack is to make a little parfait with Yogurt, Granola and Fresh Blurberries! Mmm mmm Good!

ENJOY and let me know if you have any questions!

Cuteness

My bro and his family recently had a photo session with Carolina Dreams and a sneakpeak is available below.

Lots of cuteness promised when you click this link!

I CAN NOT WAIT to meet ELI this weekend and spend some quality time with his parents and big sis!

The 3/50 Project

Read more. What do you think?

What 3 (or more) local stores would you be sad if they closed?

Lefty's Main Street Grill
Runabout Sports
Eats Natural Foods
Gillies
Carol Lee Cakes and Doughnuts
Grandma's Goodies Bakery and Sweet Shop

Hmmm... what does it say about me that most of my places revolve around food?